Wisconsin
First heatwave of the summer brings high temps to Wisconsin
The first heatwave of the summer is rolling through Wisconsin, bringing in high humidity and temperatures in the 90s.
A high pressure system that brought extreme temperatures to the Southwest last week is shifting to the eastern half of the United States. The heatwave is expected to bring high temperatures to millions of Americans from Iowa to Maine.
Portions of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri were under an excessive heat advisory from the National Weather Service that is expected to remain in effect throughout the week.
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In Wisconsin, Madison is expected to have highs around 92 degrees on Monday and 91 degrees on Tuesday, before a high of 84 on Wednesday. Milwaukee is expected to have highs around 92 Monday and Tuesday, with a high of 87 on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Green Bay is expected to have a high of 89 degrees on Monday, followed by 90 on Tuesday. La Crosse is expected to have a high of 85 degrees on Monday, and 89 on Tuesday.
Those high temperatures will be accompanied by humid conditions, according to Denny VanCleve, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Milwaukee/Sullivan office.
“With the high humidity, you’ll definitely be sweating a lot out there, so you will want to drink plenty of fluids,” he said.
VanCleve said Wisconsinites should expect warm weather through Tuesday, but a cold front will move through the northwest half of the state on Wednesday.
That cold front should keep temperatures in the northwest part of the state down around the 70s on Wednesday, but Madison is expected to have temperatures in the 80s and Milwaukee still has a chance of hitting 90 degrees, VanCleve said.
VanCleve also said the state has a chance of seeing above normal temperatures for the rest of the summer.
“It leans a little more on the warmer side, but it doesn’t guarantee that’s going to be the overall trend,” he said. “Right now the outlook needle is leaning a little more towards the higher chance for above normal temperatures versus normal or below normal.”
High temperatures bring health risks
High temperatures bring with them risks to public safety. State officials say summer heat waves are one of the biggest weather-related causes of illness and death.
An estimated 148 Americans die from extreme heat and humidity each year, according to the state Department of Health Services’ Extreme Heat Toolkit. From 1982 to 2008, 116 Wisconsinites died from heat-related fatalities, the toolkit states.
Wisconsin has had a total of 41 heat-related deaths since 2020, state data shows. Last year, the state saw 10 heat-related deaths and more than 750 state residents visited the emergency room for heat-related illnesses in 2023. In 2022, the state had 14 heat-related deaths and over 700 heat-related emergency room visits.
Staying safe in the heat
Anytime temperatures get above 90 degrees, it’s important to watch for signs of heat exhaustion or other heat-related illnesses, said Andrew Beckett, a spokesperson for Wisconsin Emergency Management. Symptoms to watch for include confusion, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, nausea and vomiting.
“These are all signs that you might have some serious problems, and may need to seek medical attention,” Beckett said.
Officials recommend staying indoors as much as possible, as well as making sure to drink lots of water. If residents do not have air conditioning at home, they may be able to cool down at a local library, mall or other indoor public spaces.
Those most at risk for heat-related illness include elderly individuals, young children, pregnant women, people who work outside and people with chronic health conditions.
“It’s important to recognize that almost everybody’s at risk, so people shouldn’t just take it for granted that they’re not at risk,” said Dr. Sheryl Bedno, the chief medical officer for the state Department of Health Services Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health.
State officials also said it’s critically important to never leave a child or pet unattended inside a parked car. On an 80-degree day, temperatures inside a parked vehicle can climb roughly 20 degrees in 10 minutes under direct sunlight.
“Even if you think you’ve left the air conditioning on, they really should never be unattended inside of a car,” Beckett said. “Because if that air conditioning fails, if they’re not able to take action to save themselves, you could be putting them into a dangerous situation very quickly.”
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MPS staff protest budget cuts, layoffs and for cost-of-living raises
Milwaukee Public School staff protest budget cuts, layoffs and for cost-of-living raises
Wisconsin teacher unions have seen the nation’s largest drop in strength since 2012, according to a new study from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.
The Fordham Institute, a conservative-leaning education think tank, ranked Wisconsin 36th among 50 states and the District of Columbia for teacher union strength, falling 18 spots from its previous 2012 study. The rankings factored in union resources and membership, involvement in politics, the state’s labor and bargaining policies, policy wins and losses, and the perceived influence of teacher unions in the state.
The report said teacher unions across the nation are weaker than they were over a decade ago, with the percentage of teachers who are union members declining in all but four states.
In Wisconsin, membership declined from 98% in 2012 to 45% in 2025, a nearly 54 percentage point decrease and the largest drop in membership nationwide. The state ranked 43rd overall for union resources and membership compared to 13th in 2012.
The report attributed the decline in membership to Act 10, the state’s 2011 law signed by then-Gov. Scott Walker that essentially ended collective bargaining rights for public employee unions in Wisconsin.
In an email, Fordham Institute researcher Meredith Coffey said most of the data in the 2012 study predated the law, and it’s unlikely the initial report fully captured the effects of Act 10. She said the change in Wisconsin’s overall rank understates the impact of the law.
“In other words, the estimated change in rank between 2012 and today is arguably conservative,” Coffey said.
The study also found Wisconsin teacher unions’ financial resources are limited compared with unions in other states. After adjusting for cost-of-living differences, Wisconsin unions have the seventh-lowest annual revenues per teacher.
Wisconsin also ranked 44th for its labor and bargaining policies. Public-sector unions are limited to negotiating for raises capped at the rate of inflation under Act 10.
The report said just five states – Idaho, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma and Virginia – have enhanced collective bargaining rights since 2012.
Wisconsin teacher unions ranked 25th for their political involvement, specifically in elections and campaigns. In 2020 and 2022, the Fordham Institute found, the state’s teacher unions sponsored the second-highest number of state and local political ads in the nation.
About 70% of Wisconsin candidates endorsed by state-level teachers unions won their elections in 2024, according to the data.
The state’s teacher unions additionally ranked 26th in policy wins and losses, which the Fordham Institute measured by analyzing the extent to which Wisconsin policies align with union priorities.
In perceived influence, the organization ranked Wisconsin’s teacher unions 24th. Researchers said they measured this through a survey of people with knowledge of education policymaking in each state, including lawmakers, journalists, state education administrators and members of teacher unions, among others.
Overall, the study found the strongest unions are concentrated in Democrat-led, more affluent states, while the weakest are concentrated in Republican-led, poorer states.
The report said the strongest teacher unions are in Vermont, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Hawaii. The weakest teacher unions are in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, North Carolina and Mississippi.
Kayla Huynh covers K-12 education, teachers and solutions for the Journal Sentinel. Contact: khuynh@gannett.com. Follow her on X: @_kaylahuynh.
Kayla Huynh‘s reporting is supported by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.
The JS Community-Funded Journalism Project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36-4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association.
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly announced Tuesday the launch of a new statewide project focusing on shaping the future of education and student success.
Portrait of a Graduate was created by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to help prepare high school students for life after high school, including college, careers and community leadership.
With students having to navigate new challenges involving technology, the cost of living and evolving career paths, the project was created to give students the knowledge, skills and experiences they need, no matter what post-graduate path they take.
“We want to broaden Wisconsin’s vision for student success,” Dr. Underly said. “The world our students are preparing to enter is changing quickly, and it is critical that we hear directly from the people who know our communities best. Academic rigor is always a top priority and will not change, but we also need to ensure students leave our schools prepared to think critically, adapt, communicate, solve problems, and thrive.”
A committee of educators, students, higher education partners, statewide education organizers, employers and representatives from industries across Wisconsin is helping guide the project.
The Department of Public Instruction will be holding virtual listening sessions scheduled for May 27 from noon to 1 p.m. and June 3 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Registration for the session or more information can be found on the Department of Public Instruction’s website.
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Copyright 2026 WMTV. All rights reserved.
Yes
A deal between Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican legislative leaders to give Wisconsin income tax filers a rebate would have excluded about 30% of filers.
That’s because the deal provided rebates up to $300 for individuals and $600 for married joint filers only to residents who paid state income taxes for 2024.
The deal, which failed to pass in the state Senate, also reduced property taxes, increased funding for schools and ended taxes on tips and some overtime pay.
According to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, about 2.1 million residents would have received the rebates. Based on that and the U.S. Census estimates, 55% of adults would not be eligible for tax rebates based on not having owed taxes or because they did not file a return. Of those who filed, about 26% were not eligible for a rebate, LFB estimated.
This fact brief responds to conversations like this one.
Sources
Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau, Estimated Distribution of Individual Income Tax Rebate under May 2026 Special Session LRB-6707 and LRB-6710 (“the bill”),
U.S. Census, Age and Sex
Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Individual Income Tax – Filing Requirements
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel collaborated with Wisconsin Watch to develop this fact brief. Wisconsin Watch is a member of the Gigafact program, newsrooms across the U.S. that deliver bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read more about our methodology at jsonline.com/FactBriefMethods.
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